Rd3 - Cec in the Bedroom with the Rope
by FiBeeN
Summary: Cec loves the way Alice's eyes spark when she's angry.


Cec , in the Bedroom with the Rope

"_Six people are playing a fanfic version of MFMM Cluedo. Murdoch Foyle has been murdered in Miss Fisher's House. We must discover the name of the murderer, the weapon and in which room the murder was committed. Every player must 'investigate' by writing a fic (100-1000 words). Each round, more and more clues can be crossed off their list. The first person to solve the mystery will write the story of Foyle's death and earn great praise for their cleverness. If you would like to play your own game please PM GameMaster19 for the rules and instructions._

_Notes:_

_Bollocking – telling off/lecture_

_Lousy – mean or dirty_

_Chicken hearted – coward_

_Scut- mean person_

_Wallop – hard hit_

_Youse – Plural of you (a word often used by the poorly educated)_

_Get wise – become aware of_

_Ballarat – large country town _

xxxx

The room was warm and still, bright sunlight was streaming through the window, lighting up the dust motes that drifted lazily through the air and turning them gold.

Cecil Yates, veteran, taxi driver, communist and possessor of the softest heart in Melbourne, stood at the foot of his bed looking down at the smiling face of his fiancée Alice.

He loved the way strands of her shiny brown hair would escape the confines of her bun to drop tenderly against her fair skin. He often, even in the midst of a conversation, found himself captivated by the sight and unbearably tempted to wrap his fingers through the tendrils and softly kiss every point of contact until she shivered with delight.

His fingers instinctively echoed his thoughts as they tangled around the length of thin rope in his hands, a light breeze crept in, carrying the delicious summery scent of fresh cut grass as it ruffled the faded sepia curtains.

Cec's eyes continued to examine his sweetheart's features. Alice's eyes were warm brown pools that a man could drown in. The first time he'd seen her eyes, they'd been full of fever and pain and Cec (who was a sucker for sad eyes) had found himself sitting by her hospital bed for hours determined to protect her. It had been nothing more than that though, until first time she'd forgotten her misery over something he'd said. The sparkle in her eyes as she'd laughed had caused his heart to take one giant leap into love.

But even that sparkle was eclipsed by the way her eyes flashed and sparked when they young woman was angry. Not that Cec had ever done anything to provoke Alice's anger, he merely been privileged to observe it when directed at others. Cec thought of the boys they'd once caught tormenting a cornered dog and his hands tightened on the rope in his hands. The poor mangy thing had already been limping as the courting couple had turned into the street. Cec had quickly left Alice's side, shoving past the bullies to put himself between them and the injured animal. His heart had broken at the sight of too prominent ribs and the badly bleeding leg. Oblivious to everything else around him, the gentle man had knelt on the cobblestones to soothe the terrified animal.

"Shh. It's alright boy, you're safe." He reached out a hand, fingers curled against his palm, the dog whimpered. "There now, good boy. I got youse." All animals trusted Cec (perhaps sensing his innate goodness) and the dog had proved itself to be no exception when it cautiously accepted his caress. The scruffy yellow mutt had sunk gratefully into his arms as he lifted it and, as Cec stood, he absently wondered how hard it would be to convince his patient landlady to accept another stray until he could find it a home.

Thus burdened, Cec had then become aware of a flare up behind him. He turned to find his Alice in a fine fury; magnificent with her eyes shooting brilliant sparks. The young woman had caught each boy by the ear (quite painfully by their expressions) and was dishing out a right bollocking.

"You lousy, chicken-hearted young scuts, picking on a poor dumb animal like that. I ought to get my bloke here to give you a right wallop." Cec had taken his cue and stepped into the boys line of sight wearing his best glare. He had been pleased to see their expressions were appropriately nervous and a good measure of it was due to fear of the woman who held them. "Now my Cec, he's a good man. Fought in the war he did, they gave him a medal for bravery and all, but never in his life did he hurt no animal and you can guess what he thinks of the likes that do." The scolding was having an effect, the boys were looking shamed. "We walk this way a lot, Cec and me. We'll be keeping an eye out from now on and we'll be putting out the word to all our mates. Any more dirty work, we'll get wise and the pair of youse won't be sitting down for a month of Sundays, you hear me?"

"Yes Miss." The boys chorused.

"Right!" She shook them by their ears for good measure. "Now hop it." She released them and they watched in satisfaction as the boys scarpered out of sight, rubbing their reddened ears.

Alice had turned to say something to Cec, but the look on the man's face had stopped her words. The quiet man was smiling, his whole face lighting up with love and pride; and it was then (in that busy street whilst cradling a mangy dog against his chest), that Cecil Yates had asked Alice Greenham to be his wife.

Standing in his boarding house room, Cec sighed at the perfect memory and then leant down to pick up Alice's framed photograph from where it lay on his pillow and pack it carefully in his kit bag.

There was a knock on his bedroom door and Bert walked in.

"Come on mate, Miss Fisher wants us on the 10 o'clock to Ballarat."

"Hold ya horses Bert. We still gotta drop Happy here round Alice's mum's place." Cec reached down to pet the healthy, golden haired dog at his feet before attaching the rope to his collar. "Time to go little mate."

As the two men left for their latest mission on behalf of Miss Fisher, Cec didn't even notice Bert's half hearted complaints about spoiled yellow mutts and blokes too soft for their own good. His head was still more agreeably engaged in thoughts of Alice...


End file.
